Freddie Figgers, founder and CEO of Figgers Communications, a telecommunications company serving over 280 million people nationwide, has shared his personal journey as part of The Post's series on the American Dream in 2026. Figgers, who also founded the Figgers Foundation, has donated nearly $8 million in resources and programming to over 27,000 families.
Born in Quincy, Florida, Figgers was abandoned at birth and adopted by a couple in their late 60s and early 50s. At the age of 13, he left school to care for his adoptive father, who was developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Figgers stated he did not want his father to end up in a nursing facility.
Figgers recounted how his father would wander off, sometimes leaving the house without adequate clothing. To ensure his father's safety, Figgers, who described himself as a tinkerer who disassembled electronics, created a tracking device. He integrated a chipset into the sole of his father's shoe, connecting it to a WAN card, a 3G cellular signal, a microphone, and a speaker. This system allowed him to communicate with his father via a Windows computer application synced with Garmin GPS, asking his location and then retrieving him.
"The same way he saved my life, I was gonna save his life," Figgers said.
He defines the American Dream as "free enterprise—having the freedom to create, having the freedom to invent and to be yourself, making a difference in the lives of others, and just living out your full potential without limitations."
Figgers Communications was founded when he was 16. The American Dream Video Project, which showcases stories of opportunity, features individuals like Figgers and is presented at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) in Washington D.C. as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration.